rUNNING ON eMPTY
by troublewolf
Summary: What happens after the day of the rising dead and the Doctor gets hurt and see some old friends.


Running on empty

This is just a short story about what happens when the Doctor gets hurt. As usual, I own nothing Who, yada, yada, yada.

The Doctor made it back into the TARDIS, clutching his side and the wound there. Stumbling, he slammed the doors behind him and they locked. He made it to the center console and slumped there. In the back of his mind he could sense the TARDIS and it's concern. Alone for the first time since he regenerated, the Doctor found himself missing Clara. Leaning up against the control console, he thought about his past companions and his past lives. Perhaps he had lived too long, but he would live longer now, thanks to Clara and her impassioned plea on Tenzalore. He was given a fresh start and what did he do with it? Save the Earth from the Master, one last time but it cost him dearly. Or it had cost Clara dearly. He had tried to find Gallifrye, but the coordinates that Missy had spoken were false, once again his home world was lost. Lost but at least existing, somewhere. A memory tugged at his mind but he couldn't quite remember what it was. There were things that did not come over when a Time Lord regenerated. Things got lost. He struggled with that and it made him cranky most of the time. His last body was the one that lived a carefree life. This one was worn down by the past. Perhaps that's why his new body looked old.

He was bleeding badly he saw, looking down at the wound. It was a stab wound. He hadn't wanted to fight the man, but he was out of control and trying to kill a young woman. The Doctor wouldn't let him, hence the wound. After the guards had gotten control of the mad man, the Doctor had made his way back to the TARDIS. He didn't trust the people of this planet, so he wanted to get away. But he was so tired. As his blood pooled under neath him, he realized he was blacking out. So he tried to get the TARDIS to leave the planet and head back to Earth, to Clara. Mentally he sent pleas to the ship. After a few minutes it started up and vanished from the planet.

The next thing he remembered was someone calling his name.

"Doctor! Doctor, stay awake, please!"

He remembered that voice, with it's Scottish tone. But, that wasn't who he wanted!

"Doctor, hang on! Rory! He's bleeding badly."

The Doctor opened his eyes to see a lovely red haired woman bending over him, her face marred by worry.

Then a man with a large sharp nose was in his face.

"Doctor, I need to check you out. What stabbed you?"

"I..know you...but you were..." His voice trailed off as he felt his control slipping away.

"Amy! We need more towels! Quickly!"

"Should we take him to the hospital?"

"No! They would see his two hearts and lock him away. Bring me my kit. I'll stitch him up and hope for the best. We do know he can't really die." The Doctor heard all this in a blur, he knew he should know this people, but they shouldn't be here. Why did the TARDIS bring him here? He wanted Clara.

"Clara?" He managed weakly.

"Clara? Doctor, we don't know who that is. Let Rory help you, please." He heard the red head plead. By now he had no energy, no strength. So he just laid there as the man, Rory, dabbed and cleaned and then started stitching. He barely felt the needle, so drained he was. He was aware they lifted him up and carried him to a room where a bed appeared. The TARDIS had fashioned a bedroom for him at the behest of Amy. She stayed with him as Rory went to get more supplies. Tenderly she tucked him in and then sat by the bed as he finally was let slip into a sleep.

Amy stared at the Doctor, seeing how he had changed. She saw all the worry and pain he had experienced now shone on his face. She missed her raggedy man but this one was raggedy in spirit now. There was no trace of the former Doctor. Maybe that was how all his regenerations went. Complete change. He had called for someone called Clara. She figured it must be his new companion now. Good. He didn't need to travel alone. She missed him terribly at times, but there were other things to consider now. She and Rory wanted a family but she couldn't have babies anymore. But they were on a list to adopt. So she couldn't go exploring anymore. Perhaps she had finally grown up. With a sigh she brushed a stray lock of hair off this new Doctor's forehead and hoped he would wake up soon. There was so much she wanted to talk to him about. Gently she stroked his aged cheek. She missed the younger side of him but this one might be interesting.

He slept for a day, something he rarely did. When he awoke, he found his wound almost without pain. But he was also in a bed on board the TARDIS with no knowledge of how he got there and a beautiful young woman was sitting beside him. As he lifted his head up, her face lit up and she leaned forward.

"Easy, old friend. Your wound is better but you lost a lot of blood. Rory wants you to rest."

He knew he should know her name but it escaped him at the moment. He let his head drop back to the pillow with a sigh.

"Who is this Rory fellow? Is he a real Doctor?"

"Of course. Ohhh, it's good to hear the Scots in your voice. I must have been a good influence on you." the woman teased. She was gazing at him with a hopeful look. But then when he didn't say her name, her face drooped.

"You don't remember my name, do you?"

"Well, how can I be expected to remember everyone I met? I'm two thousand years old, you know." His voice had a bit of a whine to it, something Amy had never heard from her Doctor.

"Doctor, I was your companion for some time. My name is Amy Pond Williams. My husband is Rory Williams. Don't you remember me? Raggedy man?" She used his nickname, trying to goad a response.

The Doctor lifted his head up again and pinned her with his deep set eyes. Amy could almost see the wheels turning in his mind.

"Amy. The girl who waited. I should know you."

At this, Amy felt her heart sink.

"But why did I come here? I wanted to go to Clara."

"Yes, you mentioned that. Maybe the TARDIS knew you were badly hurt and brought you to me and Rory to help you. After all, she has a soul." Amy smiled at him, trying to get him to smile in return. But he stayed grumpy.

"She is a teacher at Coal Hill School. Could you please get her for me?" Here the Doctors voice started to wind down, running out of steam. "But she has lost so much, she might not..."

Amy saw that he had fallen asleep again. Good. Making sure he was tucked in, she left to go start phoning. She would find this Clara. She felt a bit of jealousy that she had been replaced, but then he was a new man. Amy had finally gotten used to not running around through time and space. So she stifled the jealousy and tried to find Clara.

Not knowing her last name made it hard but she finally got a hold of her school. She found out that the woman was on compassionate leave and Amy had to pry her home number out of the school, but she finally did.

Amy tapped in the numbers and waited as the phone rung. The young woman who answered sounded so...bereft. Sad.

But when Amy mentioned the Doctor, the woman's voice grew sharper, more alive.

"Where is he? I..we...we use to travel together."

"Don't worry, Clara. I was his last companion. I'm Amy Pond."

"Amy? He spoke of you some when he was changing. It almost as if he could see you as the change took hold."

Amy felt happy he had thought of her. "I was the girl who waited. He keeps asking for you."

"Is he dying?" Clara asked.

"No. He was terribly hurt but my husband is a doctor and he stitched him up. But could you come? He seems lost somehow."

The other side of the line went silent.

"Clara, I know something happened between you, but the Doctor has done so much for all of us. Please come!" Amy pleaded.

Finally Clara told her she would and Amy quickly told her where she lived. Then she went to check on the Doctor.

Clara was conflicted. She knew the Doctor wasn't really to blame for Danny's death. The Master was, but... This Amy had told her he was hurt, badly. Clara had never seen the Doctor hurt, not badly. A few knocks and aches, but nothing serious. A part of her wondered just how bad. If he was dying, he would regenerate. Clara didn't want him to do that. But to come back would reopen the wound Danny's death had left her with. Looking out the window of her home, she hated the silence now. With a sigh she grabbed up her purse and helmet and left. This Amy was only a short ride away.

Parking her bike, Clara entered the TARDIS. The ship gave her a gentle hum as she entered to find a tall red haired woman and a man with a sharp nose waiting for her.

"Hi, I'm Amy and this is my husband, Rory. I'm glad you came."

"I almost didn't." Clara confessed. Then she quickly filled them in on her last contact with the Doctor.

"Cybermen! Their almost as bad as the Daleks!" Amy breathed. "I knew the Doctor would save us when I saw them."

"The Master was mad. She...used the dead. My boyfriend had just died and was brought back as one of them but he fought it. He died saving us, not the Doctor." Clara said stubbornly.

"I'm sorry for your lost, Clara. But was it the Doctor's fault? I don't think so. Come and see him, please?" Amy's voice was soft, blurred by her Scottish accent. Rory spoke up.

"He lost almost too much blood, which I couldn't replace because I didn't know what type he was. He has recovered somewhat but seems a little out of it. He keeps asking for you."

"Okay, take me to him." Clara gave in.

Amy smiled and led her to a room. She opened the door and let Clara go in alone.

Clara was hesitant. She saw the Doctor, pale and older looking, lying still on the big bed. Not for the first time she wondered who he really was. His regeneration was such a reverse of who he had been. Why? What happened in his past life that left him like this. There were times she thought him mad. Maybe he was. A mad man with a blue box.

She remember his past self telling her that a long time ago. But she went with him anyway! So she crept close to the bed and sat down. His breathing a bit labored and Clara wondered if he had a fever, his face was flushed. She had never learned if he had any medicines on board but Amy had said her husband was a doctor. So she sat there.

But as always with Clara, she didn't stay silent.

"So, got yourself hurt without me. Did you? What were you doing anyway? I didn't want to come back, you know. I barely think about school anymore. They keep calling, wanting me back but I think I'll go to another one, maybe try Cardiff for a time. This Amy seems nice, beautiful girl. He husband adores her, I can tell. Oh, Doctor! Why did Missy do what she did? Was she that crazy? That mad? Are they at rest now? Is Danny at rest?" With that last question she fell across a sleeping man and cried quietly.

After some time she fell asleep.

"Could you please get off of me, I can't breath." It was the Doctor's voice that awoke her. Startled she pulled herself upright and found herself gazing into his deep set eyes.

"Doctor! You're awake!"

"Yes, glad you stated the obvious. Why did it take so long for you to get here?" He asked grumpily.

"I came as soon as Amy called me. She might have had trouble finding me. I left school."

Clara told him as she sat back in the chair, her dark eyes on him, studying him.

He picked at the blanket a second before saying. "You left because of Danny, didn't you? Do you think he would want you to give up your life because he is gone?

Clara found herself growing angry. What would he know what Danny would want?

"Doctor, is he really gone now? Is he at peace now?"

"As far as I can tell, yes. He used the last power in the bracelet to send the boy back. He would of..gone then. I don't know much about your afterlife here."

"I found the boy's family, what was left. They were brought here and given asylum."

Clara told him. "That is what Danny would of wanted."

"You didn't tell me Danny didn't come back and I didn't tell you I couldn't find my home. Great pair we are." the Doctor grumbled. He pulled the blanket up closer as if he was cold. Again Clara worried he had a fever. She reached over and gently laid her hand on his forehead. It was burning hot.

"Uh, I'll be right back. Just rest." She said and slide from the chair and made it out of the room, looking for Amy and Rory.

"Rory, he has a high fever, I think." She said as soon as she saw him. The woman, Amy looked so worried.

"Damn, I was afraid of that. I didn't know what stabbed him and if he can take Earth medicines. I still think he needs a hospital."

"No!" Both women called out, startling Rory. He held his hands up in surrender.

"Fine, but I need to go get some more meds, he's running a high fever. Amy, get some cold water and wash cloths. See if you can get it down some. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that he left. Amy assured a worried Clara that she would be back soon and left also. Alone, Clara settled herself back down beside the Doctor to wait. He was looking very sick now, paler that usually with the sheen of sweat on his face.

There was a noise and Clara assumed it was Amy or Rory but when the bedroom door opened, a stranger stood there. A woman with a head of tight curly hair, ginger colored and she looked startled.

Clara quickly stood, putting herself between the Doctor and the this new woman.

"Hello." She said simply.

"Hello. You must be his new companion. What has my Sweety gotten himself into this time?" The woman entered the room, holding a blue book in her hand. She opened it and but failed to look at the pages. "I keep forgetting he will not know me now."

"Who are you?" Clara asked.

"I'm River Song. Amy and Rory's daughter." She flashed Clara a smile and then said. "Where is Mother?"

"You can't be her daughter! You're older than she is!" Clara blurted out.

"There is that. Long story. Ask the Doctor about his wife sometime. When he is better. If you go into the front room and look for a bottle with a red label, it will help him. Don't let Father give him any earth meds. Will you? Now, I must go find Mother." With that the woman whirled around and left. Once again the room was quiet except for the Doctor's low mutterings.

Clara was getting concerned. She had never seen him ill or even wounded except for a knock on the head, but he seemed to be running a high fever now. She gingerly checked his wound and found the bandage bloodied. She needed to get his fever down.

Looking upwards she pleaded, "Look, I know you don't like me, I don't know why, but I need to get his fever down. I need a large bowl of ice water and some clothes to bath his body. I don't know his ability to be sick and how his body handles it, but water won't hurt him and just might help him. Can we call a truce for him, please?"

In the back of her mind she heard a soft hum and it drew her to a corner of the room. There was a large bowl of ice water suddenly there on a small table, a small stack of wash cloths near it. Taking it up, she went back to the bed and began to slowly bath the Doctors exposed flesh. After bathing his face and hands, she drew the blankets back and started on his chest. By the time Amy had gotten back, Clara had bath the Doctors entire body bathed and his fever down a degree or two.

"Has Rory come back yet?" Amy asked quickly, taking in the Doctors undressed appearance as Clara was buttoning up his shirt.

"No. A woman was by, River I think her name was, she said she was your daughter?" Clara let the question stay in her words.

Amy sighed. "It's a long story but it explains the trouble with time travel. Where did she go?"

"She went to look for you. I bathed him with cold water, his fever was getting up there, I don't know what his normal is."

"Have you ever notice how cool his hands are?" Amy asked as she came over and helped to straighten the bed.

"Well, maybe when after he got...older. But I just thought it was his change." Clara said and then began to laugh silently.

As Amy stared at her in question, Clara finally stopped and explained. Then Amy started laughing.

Oh my god, his change!" Amy managed then started to really laugh.

"I'm glad my impending death is so funny." Came from the Doctor, grumpy but awake.

"Oh, Raggedy Man! It was a joke between Clara and I" Amy bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "I think you are in good hands now. I have to go meet the adoption clerk. Be back in a couple of hours."

After she had left, the Doctor said softly, "Adoption?"

Unfortunately for Clara, she had no ideal what Amy had meant so she couldn't answer the Doctors demands. Instead she tried to make him as comfortable as she could then as he finally settled down.

"Okay, how did you get stabbed?" Clara finally asked.

The Doctor stayed silent for a few minutes then he said softly. "Trying to save a girl."

Clara grinned. "Trying to save someone? Isn't that interfering? I thought we didn't do that?"

"Yes, but she was in great danger and he shouldn't have had that weapon!" the Doctor said with a snap in his voice. He glared at the younger women.

Clara sat back with a smile. He was feeling better she thought. Then she remembered something.

"Hey, River was here and said there was a red bottle of medicine I should give you. Should I?"

"River? I...can remember her. Yes, its in the control room in that small wooden box with the circles engraved on it."

"Okay. I'll be right back. You, "She stuck her finger in his face,"Behave while I'm gone!"

Clara bounced out of the room and raced forward in the ship. Or at least she thought it was forward, you never knew with this place.

It took Clara a few minutes to find it, a small glass vial of ruby red liquid. Just as she was grabbing it, there came a knocking at the door. In surprise she looked up, her eyes wide. Slowly she walked to the door and opened it. One of the handsomest men she had ever seen stood there, A big smile on his face.

"I'm looking for the Doctor." Dressed in vintage RAF coat he saw the surprise and added. "My name is Captain Jack Harkness. I saw that the TARDIS had landed so I thought I would pop in."

"How did you know?" Clara wanted to know. She couldn't take her eyes off the man.

"I'm Torchwood."

Even Clara had heard of Torchwood. Danny had talked of it a time or two with envy in his voice. They caught aliens.

Suddenly she tried to slam the door closed but the man pushed it open.

"Now, now, I use to travel with the Doctor! Don't worry, just ask him."

"You haven't traveled with this Doctor!" Her voice was rising in alarm. Behind her she could hear the Doctor yelling, wanting to know what was going on.

"The idiot went and got killed, didn't he? What's he look like now?" Harkness pushed past her and entered the ship. He patted the consol and said, "Hi, sexy! Wheres the old man?"

Clara bean to fume. The damn ship liked everyone but her! Why? She trailed behind the handsome man as he strode toward the bedroom.

Harkness entered the room and paused. "Well, look at you! Still not ginger are we."

"Kindly get out of my room!" The Doctor ordered, abet a bit weakly. He glared at Harkness but that didn't seem to bother the man. He came over and began to really look at the Doctor.

"You really went older? Well, I guess unless you wanted to be a child, you couldn't go younger. Nice hair, though. Why are you in bed anyway?"

"He got stabbed" Clara put in.

"After all these years, I've never seen you hurt!"

The Doctor was glaring up at Harkness but he seemed to be studying him also.

"I...know you. You're wrong. A fixed point in time. People can't be...that means..."

"Yes, I still can't die." Harkness said in a soft voice. "Tell me old friend, can I do anything for you?"

"No, Clara, give me that bottle." the doctor demanded, glaring at Harkness. Why did he have to stay so...young? Clara came over and handed him the bottle. The Doctor gulped the contents and dropped the bottle on the bed. It seemed to make him sleepy.

Clara turned to Harkness.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what it was but his breathing is good and his fever, I assume , seems down. Let's just let him rest." He gently led Clara out of the bedroom and to the control room.

"So, you're his newest champion now?"

"I was...I am, I guess. I left him after the Cybermen rose. I lost my boyfriend." She said then she saw the pain on his face. "Did you loose someone then too?"

"Yes. He had died during the 456, but he came back as a Cyberman. I got to hold him one last time. He refused to kill." Jack said with a catch in his voice. "His name was Ianto."

"Mine was Danny. He lead them to the sky and made them self destruct. He saved us." Clara blinked back tears as she spoke.

"Who are you?" Amy's voice broke in, startling the two.

"I am Captain Jack Harkness. I use to travel with the Doctor. I'm Torchwood now."

"We heard you were...disbanded." Rory put in, eying the handsome man.

"Nah, they tried to kill us off, but we were put in place two hundred years ago by royal decree..can't be undone. There will always be a Torchwood." Jack smiled widely. "Just popped in to see the old man. Can I help with anything?"

"I don't think so." Amy stared at the man, feeling a pull she had only felt for two other men. "Clara has taken good care of him and Rory stitched him up. I don't think there is anything else."

"Well, it's getting a bit crowded in here, so here's my cell. If he needs anything, call."

He handed Amy a card and strode out the door. Amy watched him get into a black SUV and roar off. She walked back and was shaking her head.

"Rory, if I ever leave you..." She kidded.

"He was good looking, wasn't he?" Clara said. "The Doctors fever seems to down a bit. I gave him some medicine he had. Your Daughter told me to give it to him."

Amy rolled her eyes. "River likes to shock people. She had stopped in to tell me she was going to the third century. She's an archeologist , a doctor actually. How she became my age is a long story. Ask the Doctor about it sometime"

"Ask me what?" Came a cranky voice and everyone turned around to see a pale faced Doctor wrapped in a blanket, barely standing up. Clara and Amy rushed over to support him to a chair. After he sat down he grumbled, "I'm not ancient, you know! Among Time Lords I'm considered young!"

The women rushed to assure him they didn't think of him as old.

Amy tightened her shoulders and leaned on the console.

"Doc..you know since I can't have babies, Rory and I have decided to adopt. We might not get a baby but we want a child so bad, we told them we would accept any age."

He looked at her as if he hadn't seen her in such a long time. Clara, looking on, realized this Amy had meant quite a bit to her Doctor. But he had let her go.

"Just don't adopt one that's older than you." He finally told her. "You already have one like that."

Amy smiled and came over and gave him a quick kiss on a cheek, surprising him.

"Doctor, I loved our time together, but Rory and I have to live in this time and place. I want you to visit us, but we can't go with you any more. The adoption agency says we should be able to get a child in a few months or so."

The Doctor hunched forward and seemed to be thinking. "You deserve children, Amy Pond. As many as you want."

"I knew you would understand." She blew him a kiss and waved at Clara as she strode out of the TARDIS. Clara swore she heard a slight hum as Amy left. The ship saying goodbye?

"I don't know why the TARDIS brought me here." The Doctor was grumbling.

Clara turned to him and said, "I do. It knew you and she needed to say a final goodbye. She needed to tell you about wanting a regular life and children. Doctor, it's addictive traveling with you, you know. She has kicked her addiction."

The Doctor could only stare up at her. "What about you? Have you kicked your addiction?"

Clara's eyes grew wide and innocent appearing as she came over and laid her hands on his shoulders.

"Oh, no, Doctor, I'm good and truly hooked!" Clara told him with delight.


End file.
